


My Favorite Things

by madame en (mad_en)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 04:16:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7669750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mad_en/pseuds/madame%20en
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unabashed fluffy-angst. I kept hearing this song (as for some reason it is always played during the holidays) and was inspired. A brief little "What if" songfic set right before James & Lily go into hiding. This story was written prior to the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Favorite Things

_Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens_

_Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens_

_Brown paper packages tied up with strings_

_These are a few of my favorite things_

 

"What are you singing, Lily?" James asked softly, leaning against the doorframe of the nursery. He had been watching as his wife sat in her rocking chair singing softly to their young son. His heart ached- moments such as this were so precious to him, especially now as preparations were being made for his family to "disappear."

 

 "Oh," Lily grinned, "a song from my childhood. It's from a Muggle film that my parents took us to when I was young- then it was on television once a year. I used to so look forward to watching it."

 

 "I didn't realize Muggle films had songs," James replied, as he came in and leaned over her, grinning as little Harry grasped a lock of her hair in his tiny hand and proceeded to try and stuff it in his mouth. Lily gently tugged it away from his mouth, but his little fingers refused to loosen their grip.

 

 "Well, not so much anymore, but they used to be very popular. This one was based on a true story about a family that had to flee the Nazis in Austria during World War II." James looked at her blankly, and she added, "When Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald."

 

The conversation paused as the young couple became entranced again by the sight of their baby. Harry had given a little yawn, slowly released the hair and drifted off to sleep.

 

"Did they escape?" James suddenly asked with interest, pushing a lock of black hair away from his sleeping son's eyes.

 

"Yes. They went into hiding, then crossed over the Alps on foot into Switzerland." She sighed, and added softly, "They had to leave everything behind."

 

"Sounds somewhat familiar, although I didn’t think of Switzerland," James replied with a brief kiss on top of Lily's head. He conjured a chair and sat beside her. "So these Muggles were fleeing from Dark Forces and had time to stop and sing about things like cauldrons?"

 

"Kettles, actually, and, well, musical theater is a form of Muggle storytelling. The songs in the show push the story forward. Some of it's very beautiful." She glanced up at him with a little smirk. "I'm sure the real family didn't burst into song in the middle of their escape."

 

"Sing it again."

 

Lily smiled then gazed at the baby in her arms, and began to sing softly.

 

_Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels_

_Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles_

_Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings_

_These are a few of my favorite things_

 

" _Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings_ \- I like that image. What part of the story does this song push forward?" James asked, absently stroking Lily's hair.

 

"Well, the children are afraid during a thunderstorm and the governess- who will later marry their father- is trying to reassure them that everything will be all right. So she has them think about their favorite things to distract them from their fears."

 

"Does it work?" James asked, looking at her carefully.

 

Lily looked at him, her eyes full of love and sadness. "In the film it does," she whispered.

 

"Sing some more," he said softly, putting his forehead to hers.

 

_Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes_

_Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes_

_Silver white winters that melt into springs_

_These are a few of my favorite things_

_When the dog bites_

_When the bee stings_

_When I'm feeling sad_

_I simply remember my favorite things_

_And then I don't feel so bad_

 

They sat in silence for some time, before James' irrepressible good humor resurfaced. "Okay, let me get this straight," James said, grinning, before clearing his throat.

 

" _Girls in black dresses with long auburn tresses…"_

 

Lily burst out laughing then quieted so as not to wake Harry. She followed his lead.

 

" _Wizards with black hair and oversize glasses,"_ she sang softly as she reached up to stroke his cheek.

 

James thought for a minute, then grinned wickedly.  _"Mad dogs and werewolves who howl at the moon…."_

 

"Well, not quite a rhyme, but definitely some of my favorite things," Lily laughed. She looked tenderly at him before singing softly once more.

 

_When I'm feeling sad_

_I simply remember my favorite things_

_And then I don't feel so bad_.

**Author's Note:**

> The usual fanfic copyright disclaimers- everyone and everything in here belongs to J.K. Rowling, no money is being made and no infringement is implied. None of this belongs to me except the idea. The lyrics are quoted without permission-copyright info as follows. My thanks to my beta reader Beth, who gratefully informed me that reading this finally purged the song from her head since she kept hearing it as well.
> 
> "My Favorite Things"  
> From The Sound of Music ©1959  
> Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II/Music by Richard Rodgers


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